


Courting the Intern

by msmeadows



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, F/M, Illegal amount of fluff, Oblivious Darcy Lewis, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-10-24 17:03:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10746045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msmeadows/pseuds/msmeadows
Summary: Bucky was an odd man... There's no one that would deny that





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Frivolous Sentimentalities](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/286608) by Tally Mark. 



> This story is based on an original work by Tally Mark off of fanfiction.net it is honestly one of my favorite stories I have ever come across! It's an Inuyasha fanfiction and so so so worth the read if you are part of that fandom (it's called Frivolous Sentimentalities)
> 
> Anywho I was struck with inspiration and had to do a Bucky/ Darcy version; hope y'all enjoy it!

Bucky was an odd man; there was not a person, AI, or robot in the tower that would deny that. Darcy figured that when you'd spent 70 years as a brained washed super assassin you didn't really need to explain anything to anyone or try to fall in with cultural norms. So when Bucky started prowling the tower via the air ducts she shrugged it off without much thought, but gave Clint fair warning. When he started stalking around the labs and glaring new interns into weeping frightened puddles she simply kept a few more chocolate bars, coffee, and Tylenol bottles stocked in the break room. And when he officially joined the Avenger's in fighting the good fight Darcy made it a priority to keep the teams favorite creature comforts stocked in every corner of the tower . These past few weeks though... Bucky had gone beyond all comprehension.

He brought her body parts.

It all started when AIM/Hydra/ Hammer, whoever the villain of the week was, Darcy found she couldn't quite remember who broke into the labs so much as what happened when Bucky found them. The 'bad guys' had her pinned to the floor of the lab while demanding information on Stark's latest collaboration with Jane, yes Darcy was fairly sure the wonder twins would blow everyone up one day, when her assailant was ripped from her body and thrown into the glass walls of the lab by one very irate looking Bucky Barnes. Then in move she'd only ever seen in movies Bucky quickly jerked his hands snapping the man's neck, she wasn't even a little embarrassed when she threw up from the wet crack, there was the soft swish of blade slicing through the air followed by a THWACK. Moments later Darcy found a bloody finger presented to her by a silver hand; it was a testament to the amount of shock she'd endured when she gracefully accepted the finger with a soft "Thank you."

After that Darcy was presented DAILY with bits and pieces of "The Villain of the Day."

Eyes, fingers, hair... Tentacles.

She felt she had become a bastion of elegance at accepting dismembered body parts by week 2. The Avenger's themselves all found it to be various degrees of amusing, everyone but Steve. Poor Steve was on the verge of apoplexy.

Today, however, there was no pretense at grace.

"It's an arm... It's your ar-.. it's an arm!" She continued to stare at IT and IT surprisingly continued to be vibranium appendage. Bucky gave her a bland look, Tony had stopped breathing and was now making strangled choking sounds in his fit of laughter, and Bruce had yet to pick his jaw up off the floor. 

"What I mean to say is... Well it's a very nice arm?"

Bucky's eyes narrowed sharply, "You do not like it." He growled causing her to jump slightly.

"NO! No, I do I do! It's just..." She held her hands out in a supplicating manner. "What I mean is thank you Bucky."

His face turned an alarming shade of red as it twisted into a murderous scowl,"You!... I should have never!" He snarled loudly before storming out of the labs and shattering the glass door in his anger on the way out.

What just happened?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love y'all! Hugs all around XOX

Darcy stared dumbly as the remains of the door crashed to the floor; what had she done wrong? He'd never been angry before! It wasn't like there was a section in her scientist wrangling manual on how to handle cyborg assassins! She blinked owlishly at the arm in question, why did he even bring her this shit? Every day had been an extremely awkward dance of morbid fascination and awkward gratitude; Bucky would strut into the lab sometime after noon bypassing anyone else in the labs and lay his latest "present" on her desk only to glare at her while she struggled to decipher what the hell she was supposed to do with it. Finally, after the third gift she'd started dropping them off in the medbay so Dr. Cho could poke and prod to her hearts delight... Darcy felt bad about giving away something that had been given to her, but honestly what was she supposed to do with it!? Keeping evil body parts in a mason jar was just wrong no matter what Stark said!

It was possible, Darcy thought, that this had nothing to do with her. Maybe it was like when her cat brought her dead mice and left them on the doormat; she supposed that to Bucky she could probably make a very good doormat. It's not like he treated her any different. Well that wasn't exactly true either; until the "finger incident" Bucky had actively gone out of his way to ignore her existence while maintaining a relatively positive relationship with everyone else in the tower. Even the doorman called him "Buck" and shared pizza with him while reminiscing about the Dodgers before they moved to California. If Darcy walked into a room Bucky occupied the man tore out of there like the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels.

So yes, it was very possible that Bucky just considered her an excellent doormat.

Though that didn't explain why he'd become so angry. He almost looked hurt when he'd stormed out. Darcy thunked her head loudly against her desk with a groan. Whatever she had done she needed to fix it, but running after an angry Winter Soldier sounded a lot like suicide. She could wait for him to cool down and come to her.

Bucky didn't cool down.

It had been a week and she had seen neither hide nor hair of him. Fine, if the mountain wouldn't come to Mohammed then Mohammed would go to the mountain!

"Jarvis could you tell me where Sargeant Barnes is?"

"I apologise Ms. Lewis, but it seems Sargeant Barnes has restricted me from sharing any access on his whereabouts with you," The AI sounded truly regretful.

"Jarvis... Did Bucky... Is it just me that's restricted?" Please say no, please please please say no.

"I'm afraid that is correct Ms. Lewis."

Oh...

Darcy bit her lip to try and hold back a sniffle. Well fuck him then; she didn't like his stupid presents or his stupid glares or his stupid pretty blue eyes either; she decided to get blackout drunk.

"Jarvis call Tony and Sam, tell them to meet me in my suite."

"Yes Ms. Lewis."

It would never cease to disturb her at how fantastic Tony and Sam were at girl talk.

"I hate men!" She declared loudly while yanking cookie dough out of her fridge and dumping it into a large bowl.

"Yea fuck men!" Tony supplied from the bottom of a scotch bottle "You're a strong independent woman who don't need NO MAN!" 

Darcy nodded approvingly at him while throwing half a carton of Hagan Das into the bowl followed by an entire bottle of Hershey's syrup and most of a bottle of Bailey's.

"Listen Darce," Sam sagely advised "What you need is man that comes at you straight. That can appreciate you for the badass you are." He sprayed vodka infused whipped cream directly into his mouth to emphasize his point

Clint and Natasha, who'd come in trailing Tony with his arms full of top shelf booze, watched the proceeding with wide saucer eyes. Wisely they decided not to intervine.

"He was just so angry! I thought we had a good thing going ya know? He'd kill bad guys, I'd get the bits, and we'd all bask in our mutual trauma. I don't understand what I did wrong." She up ended an entire tub if Cool whip and all of her chocolate sprinkles into the bowl. Her stomach lurched at the thought of Bucky's face. "Whatever game we were playing I didn't know the rules. Why did it have to change?"

"Maybe," Natasha spoke up from the couch; her face looking far more wise than her years "Bucky wanted it to change."

Darcy felt the breath catch in her chest; maybe Bucky wanted something to change! Maybe he was looking for a different reaction! Each present he'd brought had always been more grand than the last, what if her opinion actually mattered? Her head spun at the revelation; did Bucky see her as more than just a doormat? 

She turned to Sam to ask his opinion, but he was waving to Tony with an air of great importance over the bowl she'd been dumping her frustration into while digging for spoons; shaking her head at the pair and at Tony's cry of "HALLELUJAH!" she quietly removed herself from the kitchen and walked to her room. 

Hope bloomed in her chest for the first time since that awful day a week ago, she might actually be able to fix this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is based on an original work by Tally Mark off of fanfiction.net it is honestly one of my favorite stories I have ever come across! It's an Inuyasha fanfiction and so so so worth the read if you are part of that fandom (it's called Frivolous Sentimentalities)
> 
> Anywho I was struck with inspiration and had to do a Bucky/ Darcy version; hope y'all enjoy it!
> 
> *** Since it has been brought to my attention that not everybody read this on this first authors note I will add it to every chapter


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! :)

Darcy woke up the next morning with a screaming hangover.

She rolled over and buried herself beneath her down quilt trying to force herself back into unconsciousness; attempting to drink Tony under the table had not been the brightest of ideas. 

"GIVE IT BACK STARK IT'S MINE!"

Sweet merciful god who was howling like banshee at... Darcy poked her head out from under her blanket bleary looking at her alarm clock... 6:30 in damn morning! Groaning loudly Darcy flung herself from the safety of her bed; she tangled up in her blankets on the way out and crashed to the floor with hollow thud.

"Darce?" A voice that sounded distinctly like Captain America called from outside her door.

 

GOD

DAMN IT

"Yea?" She hoped she managed to only sound half as humiliated as she felt.

"Sweetheart, you ok in there? Do you need help?"

"I'm ok! I just... I fell," She was never drinking with Tony again. Not ever!

"You fell!? Darcy are you alright? Does anything hurt?"

God bless Steve Rogers and his ability to over react to anyone elses discomfort.

"Why aren't you answering? Did you hit your head? DARCY!"

Darcy wondered briefly if she had enough time to throw herself from her balcony before Steve's mother hen instincts kicked in and he opened the door.

Her door banged against the inside wall of her room with enough force that she heard the sheetrock crack. Fabulous.

"Sweetheart what happened?" Any other day Darcy's stomach would have done a little flip at Steve's terms of endearment and his endless chivalry; having him stare down at her right now in obvious confusion while she was tangled up in her own blankets with day old make up, extreme bed head, and her Garfield night shirt ruched up to her arm pits however, made it do more of a cancan of shame.

"Oh honey..." She flinched away from Steve's patented 'America's disappointed in you face.'

Twisting her body the rest of her limbs came crashing to the floor as see tried to scramble up and regain at least an iota of dignity. Miserably she realized her shirt was still bunched up past her boobs displaying her My Little Pony panty/ bra set in all of their rainbow glory.

"If there is a god he will take me now," she muttered.

Steve was a shade of purple Darcy had previously been certain could not be found in nature; his eyes trained resolutely on the ceiling.

"Can we... Can we just pretend you've never seen my panties."

Steve squeaked, CAPTAIN AMERICA squeaked. 

"Is it also possible we could pretend I didn't break your friend and that you're not here to have a heartfelt chat with me after I made some exceedingly bad choices in drinking buddies last night?"

"Hell yes!" Steve was out the door so fast it nearly gave her whiplash.

"SAM WILSON DON'T YOU DARE LICK ME!"

She had to fight the extremely uncharacteristic urge to storm into her living room and rip off Tony's beard as he shout set off a cacophony of pain in her head. What were those idiots up to now? Quickly throwing on pants Darcy braved entering the living area and immediately wished she'd just stayed in bed; Sam had Tony tackled to the floor trying to wrestle his wing pack from Tony's hands while Tony, a 50 year old billionaire she might add, giggled like a school girl playing keep away. No more alcohol for them ever!

A snort brought her up short when she began making her way over to the idiotic pair.

James Buchanan Barnes stood in her doorway looking less than amused.

Shit!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is based on an original work by Tally Mark off of fanfiction.net it is honestly one of my favorite stories I have ever come across! It's an Inuyasha fanfiction and so so so worth the read if you are part of that fandom (it's called Frivolous Sentimentalities)
> 
> Anywho I was struck with inspiration and had to do a Bucky/ Darcy version; hope y'all enjoy it!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much fluff!

Bucky watched as she herded Sam and Tony out of her apartment; never once did he move from his spot in the doorway and never once did he look at her. Her heart ached over the irritation that radiated off of him in waves.

Once the two idiots had been removed from her space she began the monumental task of cleaning up after last night's pity party, Bucky had migrated towards the kitchen silently, his nose wrinkling at the mess there. Darcy took a steadying breath, grabbed the cleaning supplies from under her bathroom sink, and braved returning to the kitchen. She worked uncomfortably around him for the better part of an hour. Freeing her counters of stuck on ice cream and booze with the Winter Soldier at her hip while he simultaneously ignored her existence made her knees feel like jello. She longed to break the uneasy silence that had settled over them, but she had no clue as to how.

It was Bucky that broke the silence.

As she worked meticulously around her kitchen, she placed plates, bowls, spoons, and a...crystal decanter? Did Tony bring a crystal decanter? She had placed it all in a neat pile next to her sink for washing. It seemed in Bucky's commitment to ignore her lost part of his spatial awareness and had forgotten she had an asshole for a cat; stumbling backwards over the gray tabby his arm shot out into the pile of dishes bringing them crashing to the floor. Darcy, for all of her grace, jumped at the sound flailing her arms in comically large circles to find her balance. The resulting mess across her tile floor was almost larger than the original she'd been cleaning. Crouching to the floor she began to gingerly pick up the shattered pieces, her frustration at the entire situation clogging her throat with hot tears and making her feel impotent in the wake of it.

"You'll cut yourself," Bucky's hand shifted into her field of view and delicately plucked a piece of porcelain from her grip.

Like a gentleman he helped her up to her feet before plunking himself down to pick up the remaining mess.

"Big party last night?"

Darcy startled at the question, "Uh not really just... Tony, ya know?" She went back to wiping down the counters.

"Stark can be a handful."

"Sometimes..." She drawled a little confused.

"Sam... Can be, well Sam can be Sam."

Darcy turned and stared at the top of Bucky's head while he was hunched over the pile of broken dishes on her floor; he was a man of very few words even around those he was close to. Why was he talking about Sam and Tony?

"I imagine together they can be, um, destructive?" He looked up at her with those blue eyes, his expression a little lost and uncomfortable.

The lightbulb went off over her head, he was trying to make small talk! He sucked so badly at it, it was adorable!

"Yea, but you couldn't find two better people get hammered with. It's to bad you never join when we're altogether in the Commons rooms, I know they'd love to have you AND you'd be able to get blackmail on all of them for days." She watched as his shoulders sagged with relief at her carrying the weight of the conversation.

"Is that a fact?"

"Oh yeah! Like did you know Natasha snores?" She stage whispered conspiratorially. His surprised laugh washed away all the hurt and humiliation from the morning leaving something warm to bloom in her chest.

"As much as I hate to admit it Buck I think my kitchen is a loss for the time being. I've got to get ready for a long day of science wrangling anyways, Jane is on day 3 of her current science bender... Day 3 is always the worst!"  
He smiled charmingly at her as she excused herself from the kitchen.

Once she had showered, dressed, and taken enough Tylenol to down a small elephant Darcy felt human enough to face the labs. Giving a quick pet to her cat on the way out she grabbed her bookbag, walked out the door, and straight into a wall of muscle. Surprised Darcy looked up to see the bemused grin of Bucky staring back down at her.

"You never finished telling me about what happens in the Commons rooms while I'm not there," he stated simply motioning for her to hand him her bookbag to carry. It took an extreme amount of effort not to swoon, she wasn't sure when she made the switch of being terrified of him to wanting to swoon, but damn it here she was! They walked companionably down to the labs, joking over their shared friends antics and even swapping a few stories that left both of them wiping happy tears from their eyes. She couldn't deny her disappointment at reaching the labs and having to end their conversation.

"Thank you Bucky, for carrying my bag and keeping me company this morning." It was a little bashful but she meant it whole heartedly.

"Anytime Doll, best morning I've had in awhile, usually I'm stuck with Steve." His wink made her belly explode with butterflies; leaning down Bucky bussed her cheek with his lips. She could feel his breath against the shell of her as he began to say something. Sadly, and much to her frustration, an indignant Helen Cho stormed past them with an apologetic Scott Lang following close at her heels.

"Come on Cho! It was a joke!"

The petite Doctor spun hard on her heel bringing her hand sharply across Scott's face.

"It doesn't make you any less of an asshole!" Cho snarled before storming away, it wasn't long before Scott began chasing after her leaving a gobsmacked Darcy and Bucky in their wake.

"They go to your little shindig last night?"

"Scott and Helen? No... Scott's been chasing her for months. I guess she finally got tired of him pulling her pigtails." 

"THAT!" Bucky sounded personally offended,"That is how men Win over dames now?" 

"Umm I wouldn't know?"

"What?" He stared at her dumbly.

"Look I don't know what all Tony says, but I've been on like maybe three real dates in my entire existence. Two of which were with my dad." She answered honestly, "Besides aren't you the original heartbreaker? If anyone would know how to chase a woman it'd be you. Maybe we should call Scott back so you can give him some old man pointers." She jokingly elbowed him in the ribs.

Bucky leaned forward until his hair cast a shadow over his face,"I don't remember."

Oh...

Oh! 

Oh God! Darcy floundered trying to figure how to save the conversation, of course she'd bring up such a sensitive subject after they'd had a great morning. Of course she would!

"Bucky.. I'm so so sorry, I would never-"

"No worries dollface," the shadows in his eyes still remained, "I still got to walk your pretty self down here so maybe I've still got some old Brooklyn charm left."

"Aww handsome, any woman you set your sights on won't stand a chance." The look he gave her cut right through her, she faltered briefly before adding "I could see you pulling out the big guns on some poor unsuspecting girl. Flowers, chocolate... The works!" Her stomach groaned sickly at the thought of chocolate, Bucky canted his head comically at the noise.

"After last night I think I'm a reformed chocoholic... Even thinking about it makes me sick," her laugh chased the last of the shadows from his eyes.

"We'll see doll, we'll see." 

He left her standing at the labs entrance, whistling a jaunty tune as he walked away and leaving a large smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I refuse to go past 5 chapters with this! I refuse!
> 
> This story is based on an original work by Tally Mark off of fanfiction.net it is honestly one of my favorite stories I have ever come across! It's an Inuyasha fanfiction and so so so worth the read if you are part of that fandom (it's called Frivolous Sentimentalities)
> 
> Anywho I was struck with inspiration and had to do a Bucky/ Darcy version; hope y'all enjoy it!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh God there's so much fluff! I am drowning in fluff!

The next day found Darcy watching anyone who walked past the labs; her eyes searching for the former assassin with the heart melting grin, as the day drew to a close her smile came a little less easy.

Bucky didn't come by the labs that day, she tried not to be disappointed... She tried really really hard not to be disappointed.

He didn't come the next day either.

Or the day after that.

When Friday finally rolled around Darcy's depression over Bucky's absence had her leaving the office early, cozy pajamas and Steel Magnolias calling her name. The short trek to her apartment feeling more lonely than usual even as various staff and even Clint tried to stop her to ask about her week, all of them were brushed off with a small smile and an excuse of a headache. Miserably she entered her apartment; flopping face down into her overstuffed sofa she burrowed down into the cushions and tried to relax.

Her cat batting at her hand hanging off the edge of the couch slowly pulled her from her half sleep.

"Go away Fargo."

The tabby mewed loudly.

"Seriously Fargo I don't want kitty cuddles!"

Sharp teeth nipped her thumb.

"Damn it cat I don't- OH FARGO NOT YOU TOO!" Darcy wailed completely betrayed as her cat laid a small dismembered piece of a robot on the floor. 

"My Lady Darcy are you well?" Thor entered her apartment quietly, his face concerned, "Jane told me you have been in low spirits in recent days past."

Darcy scrubbed the tears from her face," Why does he do that Thor!?" She pointed accusingly at Fargo."Am I supposed to reward him for being a mighty Hunter or am I just supposed to hold it while he goes and kills more stuff!?"

"Tis a cat Darcy," Thor's eyebrows shot up to his hairline at his friends distress."Cat's, while notoriously complex, are still just animals."

"I just don't get it... Why me?" She sniffed sadly.

"Did you not go buy Fargo those fish treats not two weeks past?"

"Yea, but I don't see wha-" Thor held up a hand to quiet her.

"And why did you purchase them for Fargo?"

"Because..." Darcy looked down at the cat in her lap as he batted her long dark love playfully, "Because I adore him." 

"Maybe that's what he's trying to tell you too." Her head snapped up; Thor's face was calm and indulgent.

"Are you the cat whisperer now big guy?"

"I was not speaking of your cat little lightening sister." He leaned forward and wrapped her in his large arms,"Often times simple answers are the best." He placed a kiss on the crown of her head.

Thirty minutes and many Thunder God hugs later, Darcy was marching to Bucky and Steve's shared apartment.

No more running.

Stopping in front of their door she gathered up every ounce of her courage; raising her hand to knock she almost fell forward onto the floor when the door opened abruptly. 

A delighted gasp left her at the sight of the apartment.

Flowers covered every inch of it, all different colors and varieties, the floor was littered with petals ,and the air smelled sweet with their fragrance. Laughter bubbled up into her chest at the sight of the Winter Soldier dressed in his formidable black uniform, his eyes trained solely on her, and his body tight with tension. 

"Where did you even find all of this?" Her smile colored her voice as petals rained down from several wisteria hanging above the door. Bucky said nothing, he didn't even appear to be breathing. Girlishly Dracy twirled and kicked up the flowers littered across the floor.

"You have my attention!" She declared brightly.

"Good," he replied as he strode across the room and shoved a wrapped package into her hands. Startled Darcy looked up and searched his face, but he kept his gaze fixed on the package. Shaking her head she delicately unwrapped it to find a beautifully ornate mirror.

"It's beautiful," she breathed, "but I don't understand.. I mean the flowers I get, why a mirror?"

Bucky made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat before holding the mirror eye level with her.

"Dames... YOU, like sweet things." She looked at him blankly. "You made yourself sick on the chocolate." When she still didn't understand he stepped in close and tucked his finger under her chin bringing her eyes to his.

"YOU Darcy Lewis are the sweetest thing I know, more than any candy or any flower... And I don't even like sweet things! But when I see you... When I hear you... I want-" His voice trailed off quietly leaving his emotions to play across his face, she could see how at war he'd been with himself over it, but he'd come back over and over hurt and humiliated in front of his coworkers and friends trying to gain her attention only for her turn him away with awkward gratitude. They had both been so utterly blind to what the other was trying to say, she'd be embarrassed if she hadn't been alone in her fumblings.

"I don't like grumpy stalkers that leave body parts on my desk," she replied with grin, he leaned forward and bumped his forehead tenderly against hers.

"I'm going to kiss you now, but I want you to know I'm kissing you because I think you're an extraordinary woman, your smile makes my day worth waking up for and while I may be out of practice after I kiss you Darcy Lewis I would like to take you out on a proper date."

His lips pressed against hers briefly; giving her time to pull away or refuse, when Darcy pressed in closer he parted her lips at the seem with his tongue in delicate languid strokes, his hands tangling into her hair to draw her in closer as he explored the taste of her. 

In that moment Darcy learned what it was to be breathless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is based on an original work by Tally Mark off of fanfiction.net it is honestly one of my favorite stories I have ever come across! It's an Inuyasha fanfiction and so so so worth the read if you are part of that fandom (it's called Frivolous Sentimentalities)
> 
> Anywho I was struck with inspiration and had to do a Bucky/ Darcy version; hope y'all enjoy it!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky's POV
> 
> Ok everybody just to stress the point...
> 
> COURTING THE INTERN IS BASED OFF OF AN ORIGINAL WORK BY TALLY MARK TITLED "FRIVOLOUS SENTIMENTALITIES" the entire premise for this story is NOT my own! I adore her writing and put a Darcy/Bucky spin on it, I used quotes and ideas from TALLY MARK's story. A link to the original story this is based off of can be found on the first chapter. I would recommend EVERYONE go read it, she is a far better author than I could ever hope to be. 
> 
> Now I don't know how much more clear I can make that, I have gone back and posted it to every chapter in this fiction and if anyone would like a list of quotes I used that were originally hers feel free to message me. ALSO, Every. Single. Chapter contains ideas that I found in that story and reworked to fit into this one.
> 
> We good? Yes?

'Fuck she was pretty', Bucky groaned from his slumped position at the kitchen table, everytime she walked into a room he completely forgot how to act even remotely intelligent and had to run away with his tail tucked firmly between his legs. It didn't matter where he was or who his was with; as soon as Darcy sashayed into the room with her ever present smirk on her lips his mind just blanked.

Having pizza with Todd the desk clerk and reminiscing about the Dodgers.... Bucky dumped two cokes into Todd's lap when she winked in his direction.

Working out Steve in the gym... Dropped a 50lb dumbbell onto Steve's foot and fell into the rowing machine when she came in to stretch with Natasha.

Getting repairs done on his arm by Tony... Stark sported a broken nose and two black eyes after she offered to bring him coffee.

"You could try actually speaking with her," Steve the world's most unhelpful asshole sat across from him with a grin so smug it took Bucky counting to 20 in every damn language he new not to deck him.

"Screw you Stevie, you've never been good with dames so don't go pretending you are now."

The look Steve leveled him was feral.

"That must be why Darce and I are on speaking terms," Bucky could here the restrained laughter in the bastards voice "pretty Dame like her took one look at me and said he must be bad with the ladies I'll give him my number."

He probably enjoyed opening their front door with Steve's face more than he should have as he stalked his way towards Foster's lab.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one is stupid short, but I promise to post more tonight! It's been a crazy crazy week!
> 
> I've got updates for "The Woman Who Was" and for "Sh*t they didn't teach you in parenting books" glaring at me from my laptop demanding to be finished... I have written and rewritten them SO MANY TIMES!

He gave her a finger...

A FINGER!

"Who gives someone a finger!?" Steve's voice reached a glass shattering pitch as he stared aghast at Bucky.

"I don't fucking know STEVEN!" Alright, Bucky would admit he was being petulant, but to be fair he'd just given the dame he was a sweet on an appendage. He sulked from prone position on the living room floor. "She was so scared... I could hear her screaming from the elevator; and tha-that man," Bucky spat the word like poison," was holding her down with a gun on her. You shoulda seen her face... I can't... No one should ever know what it's like to be that scared."

"So you gave her a finger? Buck, look I know you're a bit outta practice-"

"It was his trigger finger."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Actually this isn't a chapter... Let's just call this a silly moment I needed to write.. an in between chapter version of a dinner mint


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy howdy all you AMAZING lovely people! I had issues posting this bad boy last night, not sure if it was an Ao3 issue or my internet, but here's the next chapter as promised :)

Horrified wasn't a adjective Bucky often used; mostly because it reminded him of his Ma and other memories that were far to slow in creeping back to the forefront of his mind, his pistol of a mother was always 'horrified'. It'd be simple things that made her throw her hands in the air with a 'God save me' groan before declaring that his or his sister's dirty clothes, messy hair, stubborness, and more often than not uncatholic behavior left her HORRIFIED. He'd actually cried with laughter the first time he remembered his mother's gasp of contrition when his little sister Rebecca, brave as you please Becca he had called her, walked up to the Daven's boy after Mass and laid one on his lips the likes of which Bucky and Steve had only ever seen in movies. Ma had been HORRIFIED for days.

Right now though... Right in this moment standing outside of Foster's labs after giving Darcy another "gift" Bucky was absolutely horrified; he didn't even have an excuse for why he did it! Darcy hadn't been anywhere near the fight, there was no reason for the sudden and completely irrational urge to make sure she knew that this monster would ever touch her. Not a single reason! 

He'd laid the still squirming tentacle on her workspace before rational thought caught back up to him.

Darcy, gorgeous fucking Darcy, looked at the tentacle like someone would a bomb before schooling her features and turning her beautiful gaze on him. He was so ashamed of the inward cheer he gave at her attention his knees almost buckled.

"Why?"

He didn't know! God help him he didn't know! He certainly hadn't planned so far ahead in this interaction with her that he would have answers to questions... He hadn't planned this interaction at all! Bucky shifted lightly on his feet and cast his glance above her head, he just KNEW if he looked at her he'd do something stupid... Like speak. He watched the crown of her head dip and bob as she made shuffling noise around her work space, she gave a dozen more half spoken inquiries about the wriggling mass of purple flesh before heaving a sigh. Bucky was aware he was a coward, he owned that shit like Stark owned expensive Scotch, but better a coward than making an ass of himself.

"Thank you Bucky."

It took every ounce of the training that had been brutally beaten into him not to scream like small child at her sudden closeness to his person, he fled the room like his heels were on fire without so much as a backwards glance.

Now he stood in the hallway, just a short distance from that fiesty little brunette who plagued his dreams and he had no idea what to do. He should, the rational part of his mind was desperate to supply, go back into the labs and actually talk to Darcy. Conversation was always a good start to any relationship. What would he even say!?

'Hey dollface, sorry about the lump of dead villain but I think you're real swell and would like to take you out for coffee sometime.'

Yes, that would go over like the Hindenburg.

She had thanked him though... And then tried to talk to him! A plan, a very stupid plan, began to slowly churn in his mind... Maybe... Maybe Darcy would appreciate more "gifts"?

It was an epically stupid ill conceived plan, but damn if it wasn't the only one he had.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are the best! Thank you for all the kudos and comments!
> 
> As I mentioned before this work is based off of Tally Mark's Frivolous Sentimentalities; you can find it on fanfiction.net it is so worth the read!!
> 
> Now to torture Steve

"YOU,"

Bang!

"CAN'T!"

Boom!

"GIVE,"

Thunk!

"PEOPLE,"

Bang! Bang!

"BODY PARTS!"

Steve had been banging his head against the cabinets for the last 15 minutes and 37 seconds... Not that Bucky was timing the lecture his spangled babysitter was giving, but he felt this was a little much. He actually felt pretty good about the last gift he'd left with Darcy, it had been Thor's idea after all, she even grabbed his arm when she thanked him this time! Ok, she had grabbed his arm out of fear and had damn near tried to climb over him to get away from the giant mass of matted purple hair, but she had TOUCHED him. He was calling it a win, fuck you very much to any one else 'Steven!' who thought any different.

"It was a pelt, not a body part," Bucky supplied petulantly.

"DARCY HAD TO TASE IT!"

Bucky snorted, but conceded the point. He wasn't exactly sure what he had given to Darcy... When the "creatures" had begun their attack on Queens nobody, not even the citizens, were sure they even were under attack. To be fair it was hard to be terrified of giant hairy space balls that came in a rainbow of colors and wiggled with an extremely disturbing chortling nose when you shot them. Tony and Clint had been completely useless about 5 minutes into the fray when a blue one spit a thick acidic white substance at Natasha; both men would be in the medbay for the weekend. Possibly longer when Pepper found out, Natasha was cunning and brutal, Pepper was piss your pants scary.

After Bucky had finally managed to stab the giant purple ball enough that it stopped moving/wiggling/ being disturbing as fuck, Thor swept in all of his eagerness to congratulate him on his "Fine kill my angsty spysassian friend!" Yes, Darcy had been the one to describe him to Thor that way. No, he wasn't upset about it because DARCY TALKED ABOUT HIM TO THOR! SUCK IT STEVE! The giant Asgardian then asked if Bucky would also present his latest quarry to "The fair lady Darcy, purple is the color she finds most pleasing!" Bucky could have kissed the over grown golden retriever; he settled for flashing Thor a smile and teaching him to fist bump. Sure he broke a knuckle on Thor's big meaty fist, but learning Darcy's favorite color and the happiness of accepted friendship lighting up Thor's face was worth it.

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING!?"

Oh right, Steve was bitching.

"Buck you're supposed to give women something meaningful! Something that makes them think of you, not.. NOT," Steve made a wide gesture with his arms in what Bucky assumed represented the situation,"NOT DEAD THINGS!"

He considered Steve seriously for moment, was there something he could give her that would make her think of him... Only him? Something that represented not only the man he is, but the soldier he was fighting to overcome? 

The metallic clink of his fingers drumming against the counter gave him pause; maybe he had something after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you find any spelling it grammatical errors PLEASE let me know, I'll get them fixed asap.. I try to go over these as best I can, but I do it all on my phone (at work because I loathe my job) so I tend to miss them.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAHA I LOVE Y'ALL! Seriously your comments are the BEST part of my day

Giving her his arm had been a bad idea.

No... No, giving her his arm had been one of the dumbest goddamn ideas he had ever had in his long life that had been riddled with bad ideas; one of which involved following his genetically modified best friend and the fucking peanut gallery across Europe to fight a similarly genetically modified Nazi without a face! Bucky felt he was somewhat of an authority on poor choices.

"Sargeant Barnes, Ms. Romanov is requesting your presence in her suite."

Bucky flinched; Natasha never used Jarvis for formal request. He could damn near taste the trap she was laying for him. She had always been very partial to Darcy, she had even gone so far as to pin him to a chair by the inseam of his jeans next to his balls with a hunting knife and whisper a threat so vile he hadn't slept or taken a piss without six pistols on his person for a month when this whole fiasco of a plan to talk to Darcy had started. He couldn't imagine what she planned to do with him now that he'd not only frightened Darcy, but had also destroyed most of the glass surrounding the labs putting her in immediate danger and made her cry.

It probably didn't help matters that he had been hiding in Todd's office for three days.

"Sargeant Barnes, Ms. Romanov has requested me to inform that if you do not... And I apologise for the crude language, 'Unfuck yourself and get to her suite in the next 2 minutes she is going hunting' I feel it is prudent to inform you she is dressed in tactical gear and has a stop watch."

As he ran from the prison that was the tower, like shooting fish in a damn barrel, and into the hopefully more camoflauged streets of New York Bucky decided that personally training a sadistic little shit like Natalia Romanova had also been a very bad idea.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait! I finished my children's book!!!! I've been working on it for months and I think it's finally ready to be sent off... I'm so excited! Thank you to everyone who's been leaving kudos and reviews! You're all amazing and reading them is the best part of my day!
> 
>  
> 
> And now for a chapter in which I don't torture Steve... Peggy does

Her chime like laughter filled every crevice of the room; Steve's chest tightened with adoration as he watched her gray hair tumble over her shoulders while she tilted her head back in her mirth and tiny joyous tears glistened in the corners of her eyes, Peggy Carter would never cease to have the most beautiful smile in a room.

"Oh Steven," a gentle exasperated chide colored her tone "You have always been appallingly serious during the most inopportune situations."

"She locked him in an electrical closet in the subway tunnel near Harlem!" He replied indignantly. It had taken them HOURS to extract Bucky from the wiring without electrocuting him to death via his temporary prothesis from Stark and not shutting down half of New York's power grid.

Peggy lost herself to gales of laughter as he tried in vain to convey his frustration of the entire Darcy situation to her. She had her arms clutched around her stomach as she repeatedly tried and failed to calm herself enough to form, what Steve assumed, was another scathing rebuke about his attitude.

"I have always adored Natasha, she is a woman after my own heart. If you so much as glare at her because she gave James the lesson it sounds like he needed I will have you running PT for the next 6 months," She quirked an eyebrow at him when he shot her a smug look and flexed his shoulders with obvious pride.

"Don't look smug Rogers, I am aware Erkshine's formula made you superior." 

Steve preened readily under the praise.

"I am also aware it didn't leave you without limitations."

He deflated just as quickly.

"Steve... You do realize you were just as awful at pursuing me as James is with his Darcy?"

"I didn't bring you body parts Peggy!" He wasn't sure he'd ever been so insulted! 

"You're right," she reached out and patted his arm gently, "You brought me Nazi prisoners, highly classified information, weapons, airplanes, and magical cubes that can alter reality; to name a few... All things we never ordered you to retrieve mind you! Simply because you felt it the right thing to do and in no way were trying to impress anyone." 

He leaned forward to bury his face in his hands with a groan; how he had come to be saddled with the most sarcastic assholes this side of anywhere he would never know.

Peggy threw her head back as another fully body cackle racked her frame while her Captain groaned in defeat.


End file.
